LCWR leader on Here and Now NPR

[clem456]

The leader of the LCWR (Sr Pat Farrell sp?) was on NPR this afternoon discussing the CDF oversight of their committee.
Did anyone else hear this? This religious sister is so unbelievably confused about Catholicism. I am amazed at what I heard.
Paraphrasing:
“Church teaching must evolve to fit the changing world, especially womens’ needs.”
“The rights of the fetus do not trump the rights of a woman.”
“We need dialogue about Church teaching not pronouncements”
“I am the Church” (that’s a direct quote)

 

[Dale_M]

Sr. Pat Farrell was on a nationally distributed public radio show today, but the show was Fresh Air, with Terry Gross. The show mentioned in the title of this thread is not an NPR program, but is produced by a Boston public radio station and distributed by PRI (Public Radio International)

If anyone is interested in listening to the interview with Sr. Pat Farrell, they can do so at this link

An American Nun Responds To Vatican Criticism

npr.org/2012/07/17/156858223/an-american-nun-responds-to-vatican-condemnation

Some of her responses are excerpted in the article. Here is what she said on abotion:

"I think the criticism of what we’re not talking about seems to me to be unfair. Because [Women]
Religious have clearly given our lives to supporting life, to supporting the dignity of human persons. Our works are very much pro-life. We would question, however, any policy that is more pro-fetus than actually pro-life. If the rights of the unborn trump all of the rights of all of those who are already born, that is a distortion, too — if there’s such an emphasis on that. However, we have sisters who work in right-to-life issues. We also have many, many ministries that support life. We dedicate to our lives to those on the margins of society, many of whom are considered throwaway people: the impaired, the chronically mentally ill, the elderly, the incarcerated, to the people on death row. We have strongly spoken out against the death penalty, against war, hunger. All of those are right-to-life issues. There’s so much being said about abortion that is often phrased in such extreme and such polarizing terms that to choose not to enter into a debate that is so widely covered by other sectors of the Catholic Church — and we have been giving voice to other issues that are less covered but are equally as important.

“Our concern is that right-to-life issues be seen across a whole spectrum and are not narrowly defined. … To single out one right-to-life issue and to say that that’s the only issue that defines Catholic identity, I think, is really a distortion.”

 

[SpeakInSilence]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sr. Pat Farrell
"I think the criticism of what we’re not talking about seems to me to be unfair. Because [Women] Religious have clearly given our lives to supporting life, to supporting the dignity of human persons. Our works are very much pro-life. We would question, however, any policy that is more pro-fetus than actually pro-life. If the rights of the unborn trump all of the rights of all of those who are already born, that is a distortion, too — if there’s such an emphasis on that. However, we have sisters who work in right-to-life issues. We also have many, many ministries that support life. We dedicate to our lives to those on the margins of society, many of whom are considered throwaway people: the impaired, the chronically mentally ill, the elderly, the incarcerated, to the people on death row. We have strongly spoken out against the death penalty, against war, hunger. All of those are right-to-life issues. There’s so much being said about abortion that is often phrased in such extreme and such polarizing terms that to choose not to enter into a debate that is so widely covered by other sectors of the Catholic Church — and we have been giving voice to other issues that are less covered but are equally as important.

“Our concern is that right-to-life issues be seen across a whole spectrum and are not narrowly defined. … To single out one right-to-life issue and to say that that’s the only issue that defines Catholic identity, I think, is really a distortion.”

I never got this logic. It’s great that they have many programs for people whom are already living, but don’t you need to be ALIVE to be able to live your LIFE?

---

 

[clem456]

Sr. Pat Farrell was on a nationally distributed public radio show today, but the show was Fresh Air, with Terry Gross. The show mentioned in the title of this thread is not an NPR program, but is produced by a Boston public radio station and distributed by PRI (Public Radio International)

If anyone is interested in listening to the interview with Sr. Pat Farrell, they can do so at this link

An American Nun Responds To Vatican Criticism

npr.org/2012/07/17/156858223/an-american-nun-responds-to-vatican-condemnation

Some of her responses are excerpted in the article. Here is what she said on abotion:

Yes my mistake it was Fresh Air.

Originally Posted by Sr. Pat Farrell
"I think the criticism of what we’re not talking about seems to me to be unfair. Because [Women] Religious have clearly given our lives to supporting life, to supporting the dignity of human persons. Our works are very much pro-life. We would question, however, any policy that is more pro-fetus than actually pro-life. If the rights of the unborn trump all of the rights of all of those who are already born, that is a distortion, too — if there’s such an emphasis on that. However, we have sisters who work in right-to-life issues. We also have many, many ministries that support life. We dedicate to our lives to those on the margins of society, many of whom are considered throwaway people: the impaired, the chronically mentally ill, the elderly, the incarcerated, to the people on death row. We have strongly spoken out against the death penalty, against war, hunger. All of those are right-to-life issues. There’s so much being said about abortion that is often phrased in **such extreme and such polarizing terms **that to choose not to enter into a debate that is so widely covered by other sectors of the Catholic Church — and we have been giving voice to other issues that are less covered but are equally as important.

“Our concern is that right-to-life issues be seen across a whole spectrum and are not narrowly defined. … To single out one right-to-life issue and to say that that’s the only issue that defines Catholic identity, I think, is really a distortion.”

Wow. Where to begin? No doubt the ministry of religious of all kinds helps in the works of charity. Who debates that?
Unfotunately she misrepresents the teaching of the Church and apparently does not understand the right to life issue?? Every life is valued by God. The value of a person’s life is not relative to other issues. How can this be, for a person in such a leadership position?
The Catholic Church is extreme in it’s teaching? Really?

 

[YoungTradCath]

Barf. Disgusting.

 

[TheRealJuliane]

Quote:

I never got this logic. It’s great that they have many programs for people whom are already living, but don’t you need to be ALIVE to be able to live your LIFE?

---

Yeah that is what a lot of pro-choice people give as their argument now. I have seen this come up several times - “Why do pro-lifers only care about embryos?” As if we do only care about the babies! We also care about the moms, the dads, everyone, and we do take care of the whole family!

So I am really not surprised to hear it from this radically oriented nun. I would assume it is like a code to her followers, “See, we understand and support your side, and we think this pro-life stuff is the wrong way to go too.”

 

[jwinch2]

Not surprising. Unfortunately, none of this will get to the average Catholic who might be supporting the LCWR out of an honest attempt to do what he/she feels is right.

Also, if no one has an objection, I might ask the moderation staff to merge this with the large ongoing thread we have on this subject.

Peace of Christ,

 

[clem456]

My apologies I did not realize another thread was going. My head was going to pop after hearing the program and I couldn’t get to the computer fast enough.

 

[jwinch2]

My apologies I did not realize another thread was going. My head was going to pop after hearing the program and I couldn’t get to the computer fast enough.

I understand completely, no worries at all. Its very easy to miss threads etc. I have done it several times myself.

Peace,